1. religion and spirituality

The Vanguard
First Unitarian Church of Hobart
April 2014
November
2014
Worship Calendar
Names &
Numbers
First Unitarian Church of Hobart
Services are held Sundays at 11 a.m.
Sunday, November 2:
497 Main St., Hobart, IN 46342
Playing Without a Catcher’s Mitt
Scott Aaseng, Minister
[email protected]
Sunday, November 9:
Jan Zorn, Office Manager
(219) 942-1611
Sunday, November 16:
2014-2015 Board of Trustees
Maggie Reister Walters, President
Gina Miller, Vice President
Stephanie Dowell, Jeff Kime,
Kelly Mahler, Pete O’Day
Reverend Scott Aaseng
Why Are You Here?
Sunday, November 23:
Tim Cook, Secretary
Jim O’Gallagher, Treasurer
Misha Sanders Lentz, Meadville Lombard seminarian
Who You Calling a Wretch? Amazing Grace for the
Disgruntled
[email protected]
www.firstunitarian-hobart.org
Reverend Scott Aaseng
Don Parker
Thankfulness and U.U.s
Sunday, November 30:
Religious Education: Children's Service
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Letter from Our Minister
By Scott Aaseng
I’ve usually been the main
cook in our household,
though that’s been
changing lately for various
reasons. And it occurred to
me the other day that I
approach cooking a little
differently than some people
in my family. Rather than
looking in a cookbook or
online for what I want to
make and then going out
and getting the ingredients, I
usually start with what’s on
hand and try to figure out
what I can make with it.
And I realized that I often
take the same approach to
ministry. Rather than
dreaming about what I want
to make happen, I try to find
out what we have to work
with and ask what we can
do with it.
This is very much like what is
done in community
organizing. Rather than
starting by trying to get
people interested in her or
his own agenda, a good
organizer starts by asking
what we have on hand:
Who are the people we are,
or can be, in relationship
with? What are the interests,
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values, and passions that
motivate us? And what can
we do, together?
I began my ministry here by
asking these kinds of
questions, and I’ve
continued to raise them
from time to time at various
workshops and retreats.
And I’d like to ask again
now: What do you really
value at your church? What
is it that makes you really
want to get involved and
contribute your time, your
energy, your money?
Ultimately the question I’m
asking is: Why are you here?
I’d really love to hear from
you.
Scott
Minister’s Office
Hours
Saturday Nov. 1: 4-7
Sunday Nov. 2: 10-11
Wednesday Nov. 12: 12-2
Wednesday Nov. 19: 2-6
Tuesday Nov. 25: 2-6
Walk-ins are welcome, though
emailing for an appointment is
helpful.
[email protected]
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First Hour Forum
10 a.m. Sundays in the Parish Hall
main room upstairs.
November 2: Open Forum, leader
selected from participants
November 9th:: Transcendentalism
Part 2 -- Leader: Don Parker
November 16th: What is Unitarian
Universalism? Leader: Rev. Scott;
guests: Trinity Lutheran Church
youth, Chesterton
November 23rd: Family Giving
Project Kickoff 2014 -- Leader: Don
Parker with Faith In Action
November 30th: National UUA
update -- Leader: Don Parker
Faith in Action:
September’s focus was on
homelessness. FIA led most First
Hour discussions several of those
had out of town guests including
the Director of Hear Us (
http://hearus.us/ ). Hear Us was
also the recipient of the loose
change for September as well as
the collection from our Sleep Out
that brought community awareness
to homelessness and related issues.
Our church community gathered
and donated exactly $1000.00 to
Hear Us. For the last few years First
U FIA committee had had a special
focus in September to start out our
Paper Retreiver
Are you remembering to bring
your newspapers and magazines
and junk mail to our PAPER
RETRIEVER???????
Did you know that the Paper
Retriever does bring the church a
modest income?
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liturgical church year. We plan
to continue that practice next
year probably in conjunction
with the UUA Congregation
Study Action Issue.
Family Giving project. During
October and November all
“loose change for social
change” will go to the family
giving project focusing on those
in need in our community and
church community. We would
like to reach out to the
Sandcastle Shelter from
Michigan City as well as families
in our more immediately area.
If you have any suggestions
please contact Tracy Ferrell.
We will also be putting together
gift bags for those who are at
Café Agape in December.
Café Agape continues to be a
success and extremely
rewarding experience. We
extend a huge thank you to
those who regularly help on
Saturdays with this worthwhile
project. Of course we always
will welcome new faces to our
food preparing teams. Anyone
brave enough to volunteer to
be the coordinator for the soup
kitchen on any month should
contact Tracy or Michele Ferrell.
Here is an idea, suggest to the
committee or small group you
are on, to have them
coordinate a Saturday. It isn’t
hard, just one Saturday
morning from your life, the
spiritual rewards are uplifting.
Don’t forget we will be
gathering items for care baskets
for the people attending Café
Agape in December.
GEO Update
As far as we know, the “for
profit prison company” GEO, is
still planning to have a prison in
Hobart. The Concerned
Citizens group is planning an
informational session on
November 16th. First Unitarian
needs to be represented in this
meeting. Keep looking for more
info to come.
NEW Business
There is an interest in supporting
those in Fergusson and
developing an event here that
would spark awareness of fair
treatment by police. This is
something we could do in
conjunction with Trinity UCC in
Gary. We will be discussing
planning a forum inviting police
departments and churches to
discuss police brutality, profiling,
etc. Through reaching out to
UUA congregations in St. Louis
and the local Interfaith
Federation we can promote
events on how the board,
church, and FIA can raise
awareness around this important
issue.
Thank you to every one for
supporting and being a part of
Faith In Action. This sends an
important message to the
surrounding communities about
our faith.
Wheel of the Year
7 p.m. Saturday, November 1.
Our local chapter of the
Covenant of Unitarian Universalist
Pagans (CUUPS) will celebrate
the Samhain in the fellowship
hall. The ritual will be followed by
a pot luck, so bring a dish to
share. This event is open to the
public. All ages are welcome, but
no child care is provided so that
children may participate (you
may accompany your child in
the nursery if they need a break).
Minors must bring a parent.
Participants must sit within the
Circle and give their name during
introductions. For more
information, contact Kele Ivey at
[email protected] or
Patricia Riley-Churilla at (219) 3311297.
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First Friday
Games & Potluck
Both sessions need to be
attended; it is up to you to
decide which times work for
you.
Let's go to the
movies!
6:30 p.m. Friday, November 7.
Join us for our game
and potluck night. Bring your
favorite game (board and card
games), and a dish to share. Or
just bring the food and see
what everyone else is playing.
Be sure you are able to explain
any game you bring, in case
others have never played it
before. We eat at 6:30 p.m.,
and we break out the games
soon after. Contact Patricia
Riley-Churilla at 219-929-9372.
Please note all four sessions
need to be attended in order to
qualify for membership.
5 – 9 p.m. Saturday, November
15. Michele Ferrell, religious
education chair, will be
introducing Popcorn Theology
in November. Popcorn
Theology is borrowed from a
middle school Unitarian
Universalist curriculum, and will
be offered as a
multigenerational religious
education experience. The
movie for the first session will be
“Back to the Future.” Feel free
to come late or leave early, if
needed; these will be informal
sessions. All ages are welcome
and encouraged for this movie.
Bring a dish, snack, or
beverage to share, if you wish.
Do you have a favorite movie?
Anyone interested in hosting a
Popcorn Theology session at
church, their home, or another
venue, please contact Michele
for a list of movies and the
curriculum. Any questions,
please contact Michele at
[email protected].
New UU Sessions
Choice of afternoon or evening
sessions in the Parish Hall. Signup sheet is posted on the library
table or call the church at 219
942-1611.
Wednesday November 12:
Session 1: “Sharing Personal
Religious Odysseys’' led by
Scott Aaseng 2:30 – 3:45 p.m.
repeated 7– 8:15 p.m.
Session 2: “Learning the History
of Unitarian-Universalism” led by
Brian Barnes 3:45 – 4:30 p.m.
repeated 8:15 – 9:00 p.m.
PPP
6 p.m. Wednesday, November
12. The next get-together of
Poetry, Prose and Potluck will
be at the home of Bob and
Zeta Allen in Hobart. If you
would like to come, please
contact Bob and Zeta by
phone or email or through the
church office. That way our
hosts will know how many
places to set, and they can
advise you on what kind of
food might still be needed.
Submitted by Glenn and Suzanne
Keldsen on behalf of the entire PPP
group.
If you're new, it may be helpful to
know that the Poetry, Prose
and Potluck (PPP) group meets
monthly in one another’s homes,
where we break bread together,
check in, and share poetry and
prose readings. If you just want to
come and listen, you're welcome
to do that too!
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Both sessions need to be
attended; it is up to you to
decide which times work best
for you.
Wednesday, December 3
Session 3: ‘' Serving as a
Unitarian-Universalist” led by
Connie Barnes and Carla Banks
2:30 – 3:45 p.m.
repeated 7– 8:15 p.m.
Session 4: “Exploring Issues
within Unitarian-Universalism”
led by Scott Aaseng
3:45 – 4:30 p.m.
repeated 8:15 – 9 p.m.
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The deadline for
submissions for the
December Vanguard is
Monday, November 17.
Please email them to both
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Science Café Church Thanksgiving
Celebration
7 p.m. Friday, November 21.
"The Karner Blue Butterfly at
Indiana Dunes National
Lakeshore." Despite years of
habitat management for the
Karner blue, the population of
these endangered butterflies
has decreased to an
alarmingly low level. Join the
Great Lakes Research
and Education Center’s
education coordinator, Wendy
Smith, as she explores Karner
blue ecology, monitoring, and
research at Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore.
This event is open to the
public. Free admission. Light
refreshments: 6:30 p.m.
Program: 7 p.m. Children of an
appropriate age are
welcome, but we are no
longer able to provide
childcare for younger children.
Please note that this month's
Science Café is scheduled
one week earlier than usual in
order to avoid a conflict with
the Thanksgiving weekend.
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Sunday, November 23. Thanksgiving
is just a few weeks away, so bring out
the old family recipe book and start
planning on the show-off dish you
plan on bringing! This is one of our
favorite gatherings of the year.
Turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes
will be provided. There will be sign-up
sheets in the Fellowship Hall for
anything else you want to bring. Also
this year there will be a raffle drawing
for a beautiful hand-made quilt.
More details to come; please see
James Johnson to sign up or get
more information.
Quilt Raffle
This beautiful hand-made quilt, in
shades of purple and pink, was
generously donated by Maggie
Reister. We decided to raffle it
instead of selling it at Rummage Sale.
We realized it was too beautiful to
give away! It is hand-stitched with
the makers name and a dedication
on the back side. The picture does
not do it justice; you will want to
check it out in the Fellowship Hall for
the next few weeks. Tickets will be
sold until November 23, 2014, and the
drawing will be held at our annual
Thanksgiving Dinner. Tickets are $2
each or 3 for $5. See Karen Smith,
Beth Porch or Rosalind Davila for
tickets or more details.
The Drumming Meditation Service
Oct. 12, 2014
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November 2014
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
7 a.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
7 p.m.
Wheel of the
Year
2 p.m.
Wedding
2
9
12 p.m. Monthly
Birthdays
Coffee Hour
3
10
7 p.m.
Faith-in-Action
meeting
16
7 p.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
4
11
7 p.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
7 p.m.
Board meeting
17
18
7 p.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
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Church
Thanksgiving
Dinner
Events
elsewhere
6
24
5:15 – 6:15 p.m.
Yoga
7 p.m. NA
12
New UU Sessions
2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
repeated
7 – 9 p.m.
5:15 – 6:15 p.m.
Yoga
7 p.m. NA
6 p.m. TOPS
8 p.m. AA
13
20
6 p.m. TOPS
8 p.m. AA
26
5:15 – 6:15 p.m.
Yoga
7 p.m. NA
6
6 p.m. TOPS
8 p.m. AA
19
Noon
Common Reader
Book Group
5:15 – 6:15 p.m.
Yoga
7 p.m. NA
7 p.m.
Board meeting
25
7 p.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
5
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Thanksgiving
church office
closed
Susan Werner Poetry Prose
Concert Potluck
Friday, November 7th
at 7:30 p.m. at the First
Unitarian Church of
South Bend
6:00 p.m. Wed. Nov. 12
at the home of Bob and
Zeta Allen in Hobart.
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6:30 p.m.
First Friday
Potluck and
Games
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21
6:30 p.m.
Science Cafe
7 a.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
7 a.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
5 – 9 p.m.
Popcorn
Theology
7 a.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
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15
22
29
7 a.m.
Empty Circle
Zen Group
Café Agape
9am-2pm Sat. Nov. 29 at
Presbyterian Church of
Hobart
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Singer/Songwriter
Susan Werner to
Perform in South
Bend
First Unitarian Church to Celebrate New
Location with Concert
Noted singer/songwriter Susan
Werner will perform on Friday,
November 7th, 2014 at 7:30 pm at
the First Unitarian Church of South
Bend.
For the most current information
on what’s happening at First
Unitarian, sign up to receive the
weekly Wednesday email
First Unitarian Church has recently
moved to a new location at 801 E.
Washington Street-- just a few
blocks from the East Race near
downtown South Bend. This
concert is an opportunity to
celebrate this new space in a
special way.
Susan Werner has long been a
First Unitarian Church of Hobart
P.O. Box 291
Hobart, IN 46342
[Recipient]
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favorite of critics and fans alike for
her unique blend of folk, jazz, blues
and gospel music. Chicago based
and nationally acclaimed, her
catalogue includes the 2007
album, “the Gospel Truth,” which
explores faith and social
responsibility. Other work presents a
fresh take on Cole Porter style pop
and cabaret. Her current release,
“Hayseed,” is inspired by the
American farmer. “Susan Werner is
immensely talented--and I
sympathize with her humane
values. Her concerts can heal your
spirit and energize your soul,” writes
Chip Roush, First Unitarian’s minister.
Tickets for the event are $20.00,
and can be purchased in
advance by completing the ticket
purchase form located on the
church’s website at
www.firstunitarian.us or at the door.
The church is located at 801 E.
Washington St., South Bend (corner
of Washington and St. Peter).